Man Who Introduced Melania to Donald Trump Speaks Out on Epstein Links

Paolo Zampolli, the longtime Trump associate who says he introduced Melania Trump to Donald Trump, is now finding himself pulled into fresh scrutiny over Jeffrey Epstein-era connections — and he is not happy about it.

As renewed attention swirls around the people who moved through the same elite social circles as Epstein, Zampolli is pushing back hard, insisting that claims tying Melania’s introduction to Trump to the disgraced financier are flat-out false. But the timing of his defense has only added more intrigue, especially as a former partner has surfaced online threatening to reveal what she says she knows.

Zampolli, an Italian businessman and modeling agent who helped bring Melania to New York in the 1990s, has long claimed he played matchmaker when the future first lady met Trump at a New York Fashion Week party in 1998. According to him, the story is simple.

He said he personally introduced the two before stepping away to deal with the hundreds of guests at the event, firmly rejecting any suggestion that Epstein had anything to do with that now-infamous meeting. Zampolli also threw his support behind Melania’s recent denial of any Epstein connection, going so far as to say he would testify before Congress to put what he called “nonsense” to rest.

Still, his name remains tangled in the larger web of figures who orbited Epstein’s world.

Zampolli acknowledged that he knew Epstein, though he described the relationship as strictly professional. He said Epstein’s role as a financial figure linked to Victoria’s Secret and Les Wexner meant their paths crossed in business settings, even if the two were never close. Zampolli insisted they did not get along, but said he maintained a cordial relationship because he had little choice.

That explanation may not quiet the speculation.

While Zampolli has not been accused of any wrongdoing, his name has appeared in documents and reporting tied to Epstein’s extensive network, a world that continues to raise uncomfortable questions about who knew what, who looked the other way, and who is now trying to rewrite the narrative.

The story took another turn when a woman believed to be Zampolli’s ex, Brazilian model Amanda Ungaro, posted online messages suggesting she was ready to “expose everything that I know.” The posts appeared to reference Melania and quickly sparked buzz online, though questions remain about the authenticity of the account and the full context behind the claims.

Ungaro, who shares a teenage son with Zampolli, has reportedly been locked in a bitter custody dispute with him. Zampolli dismissed her in explosive terms, denying her allegations and portraying her as unstable and dangerous. He also rejected the idea that her posts had anything to do with Melania’s public response to the Epstein chatter.

For Zampolli, the suggestion that his ex could rattle the first lady was absurd. He argued that Melania likely has not spoken to her in over a decade and brushed off the idea that someone in her position would be remotely concerned with his former partner’s accusations.

But in today’s political climate, especially with Epstein’s shadow still hanging over powerful men and the social circles that protected them, that kind of dismissal is unlikely to end the questions.

Instead, it may do the opposite.

Because every time someone in Trumpworld rushes to call something “nonsense,” it tends to invite even more attention — especially when Epstein’s name is involved, old relationships are being reexamined, and someone from the past is suddenly threatening to blow the whole thing open.